A 29-year-old Captain Cook man is recovering from an apparent shark bite Wednesday morning in waters off the Ka‘u coast.
The man was body boarding with two friends around 8 a.m. when he reported being bitten by a shark in the area of Ninole Bay, which is just south of Punaluu Beach Park, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. He told police he was about 20 yards offshore and in 8 feet of water when the attack occurred.
The man was transported to Ka‘u Hospital, where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. The man’s friends told police that the shark was likely a tiger and between 10 and 12 feet in length
The beach is currently closed. The Hawaii County Fire Department will conduct an aerial observation for sharks in the area at 10 a.m. Wednesday. If no sharks are sighted, the beach will reopen at noon